12 contestants compete for LEGO dream job

For 11 men and one woman at Phipps Plaza Sunday, their dream job was to play with LEGOs, all day, every day.

"Growing up, you always joke and imagine and dream that this could be a real possibility to play with LEGOs forever," contestant Matthew Riggs said. "It would really be a lifetime opportunity (if I won)."

Such a position, as the LEGO Master Model builder for the LEGOLAND Discovery Center that's set to open at Phipps Plaza in a few months, was on the line.

The 12 contestants taking part in the competition were the finalists from more than 100 applications for the position. Dozens of hopefuls took part in a quarterfinal and semifinal round Saturday. They built animals and scenes of Atlanta for those rounds.

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For Sunday, the 12 finalists were given the theme of something that represents yourself an hour before the competition started. After the hour elapsed, they were then given an hour to build it in front of an anxious crowd.

The finalists included a video game tester, a stay-at-home dad, a stay-at-home mom and a medical school student.

"Med school, I feel like I could go back to and it's something I could always keep applying to, but this job is a very rare opportunity," Michael Maggert said.The creations they built included a couple of guitars, computer and video games, a toy chest, a work of art, even Wonder Woman.

When the judging was completed, Joshua Bohn, a college student who is working at the LEGO store at Discovery Mills, was named the winner.

"It means my childhood is not only fulfilled, but it means it will flourish beyond anything I could have ever imagined," Bohn said. "I'm going to have the chance to build and work with some of the most amazing kids and representatives of LEGO and the Discoveryland park. It means everything. It means absolutely everything as a LEGO enthusiast who never could have imagined, even working for a company, the LEGO company, never imagined getting this far so quickly." Bohn will take over as the Master Molder Builder at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center when it opens later this year.